Alex is the UK Chief Scientific Adviser for National Security. He was previously a venture capital investor and entrepreneur, focusing on investing in early stage ‘deep technology’ start-ups. He is a Fellow of the Institution of Engineering and Technology, an Honorary Professor of Computer Science at the University of Manchester, and a current member of the Royal Society’s Science, Industry and Translation Committee. During 2019 he was the Visiting Clore Innovation Professor at the Royal College of Art.
Alex participated in the development of the BBC Microcomputer & Acorn Electron at Acorn Computer in the 1980s. He subsequently co-founded several technology companies, including ANT Software plc and nCipher plc which achieved public listings on the London Stock Exchange.